NOVEMBERS DOOM - INTERVIEW



NOVEMBERS DOOM is a dream...a marvelous mix of influences like: PARADISE LOST, ANATHEMA & MOONSPELL and the new wave of melodic death metal acts: IN FLAMES, AMORPHIS but this mix of influences create an original music, with  deep feelings and powerful melodies. It is not a commun band, NOVEMBERS DOOM  touch our souls with your music and deep messages, your new album "THE  KNOWING" (released by DARK SYMPHONIES) is one the best dooms CDs of the year.  Krepuskulum interviewed PAUL KUHR (Vocals).



Krepuskulum:  Your new release THE KNOWING is a great production, we can hear all details in record, and the sound are clean also in extreme parts Talk to us  about the creative and record process of the CD.

Paul Kuhr: It took us a bit over a year to write "The Knowing". We are all perfectionists, and wanted everything to be exactly as it was envisioned when writing. One of the goals we set for ourselves, is to make no two songs on the CD sound exactly alike, but maintain the sound that is our own. It's not an easy task, but we worked hard towords our goal, and I believe we reached it. The recording, mixing and mastering took just about 6 weeks. This was the first time we entered a studio, and were totally comfortable with everything from the music itself, to the studio atmosphere. Chris Djuricic at Studio One   in Racine, Wisconsin, recorded us, and helped produce the final product, and we can't be happier. He did a fantastic job. The production on the new CD is huge and epic sounding. He was able to capture the exact tone we have always been looking for.



The lyrics of THE KNOWING are very depressive and deep, with nihilist touches and sadness moments but are very inpirated too. Talk about the history and concepts behind the lyrics. Where come from the ideas to write
this sad saga?

I don't know when or where I came up wih the concept. I had an idea for a story, and it almost took a life of its own, and manifested each time I thought about it. The basic of the concpt is this... It's a story about a man who awakes with a 'gift' of seeing the future, generally knowing all that there is to know, the end of the world, the truth about God, etc. At first it seems like a wonderful thing, but as it goes along he sees how his own life is being torn apart by this, from knowing when your friends and loved  ones are going to die, to knowing that the love of your life doesnt really  love you and lies to you for years....the whole thing starts to slowly drive  him mad, especially when he realises that he can control certain destinies and events, and cannot decide which way to go with it. At the same time, the  non-fictional side has very personal meaning to me, and is much more deeply  written that it appears on the surface. Every song on the CD has a much more  profound meaning that just a conceptual piece.



Some songs of the CD like the darkest deep IN FAITH have a complex instrumental & vocal work, with abissal feelings. This musics have gothic influences. Do you like 80's gotic bands like BAUHAUS, SISTERS OF MERCY & THE CURE??

This band has so many different influences, im sure some of us do. Personally speaking, I enjoy hearing goth music, but I don't consciencly draw influence from it. I think any piece of music you hear has some sort of influence, even if its in a way to show you what not to do. I may listen to a Bauhaus song, and hear a great vocal line, that may in fact come out in a similar vocal
pattern, and I could hear a line and tell myself to never use that. We just write what feels right for us, not thinking about it's influence might be drawn from.


NOVEMBERS DOOM made a creative use of female vocals and melodic touches. Wath are your opinion about the melodic black metal invasion and the new metal fashion (to use violins, female voices, flutes, etc.) ? ?

I'm all for a band using new elements to enhance their sound. Im not a huge fan of black metal, but I think it's important for the style to develop as well as grow.


Talk to us with the concept behind the cover art of THE KNOWING??

The concept was explained to Travis Smith, and he had total freedom to do what he invisioned with it. It's the main character of the story, reaching for the key, that symbolizes the key of knowledge, or "The Knowing".


Wath are the great diference of THE KNOWING and the another NOVEMBERS DOOM's albums in your opinion?

"The Knowing" is the most intelligent, and mature musical piece this band has ever done. It's extremly well thought out, to take you on a musical adventure. You need to sit back, and listen to the CD from start to finish to really understand how it all works, and why so many moods are important to the story. We worked harder on this, then any other CD, and I think it really
shows.



The band worked with 3 labels in 3 full lenght releases. Wath is the reason to change the label all time?

Avantgarde released "Amid It's Hallowed Mirth" in 1995, and it did very well. The problem was more of a communication issue. The internet and email was not into play yet, and calling Italy, with the language difference, as well as a time difference, made things difficult. It was more or less a one CD deal. I totally respect Avantgarde, and I am thankful for all they did for us in the early 90's. I guess we can be proud that until the recent signing of Evoken, we were the first, and the only United States band to be on Avantgarde. We then recorded and released a mini-CD, "For Every Leaf That Falls". From the mini-CD Maria Abril came to us, and said she was starting a label, and wanted to sign us to it. We shipped the mini-CD, and did get other offers, some of which I regret not signinig to, and waited it out to sign to Marias new label. We then signed with her new label, Marytr Music, and at the time, we felt it was the smartest thing we could have done. There were many promises made in the beginning. We were good friends with Brian Griffin, and he was signing Broken Hope and his side project, Em Sinfonia to them, so we figured, with a band like Broken Hope signing to them, and just coming off of a Metal Blade contract, it could mean good things for the label. The thought was Broken Hopes name would raise all eyebrows to the fledgling label, and the
recognition would be there. Martyr started placing ads in the magazines, and started to work the press. They got the buzz going about the label, and it was exactly what we thought would happen. We knew going into a new label, that they didn't have the distribution yet, and there was almost none when "Of Sculptured Ivy and Stone Flowers" was released. By the time the Distro
was in place, the CD was 7 months old, and the advertising had already taken a back seat to the Broken Hope release. We have always felt that a band has the job of writing and recording a CD that is to the best of their ability. We did that job, and handed in a great disc. The labels job is to then work the advertisements, press and promos for the CD in order to sell as many
copies as possible. To this day, I get emails from people teling me they cant find the disc. So, none of us wanted the next CD to come out on Martyr, with the possibility of the same thing happening. We worked hard for years in this band, and no way did we want nothing to come of it. We all felt we deserved to be treated better then the red headed stepchild, so we asked for our release which was turned down. We were not getting a clean break from Martyr, and we were under contract for two more CD's. I spoke with Dark Symphonies, who wanted us on his label, and explained our contract situation. He immediatly went to bat for us, contacted Martyr, and purchased the remainder of our contract from Martyr Music. Ted and Dark Symphoines is the very best thing that could happened to this band in a long time, and we're now at home where we belong. Hes already done so much for us, and I can't begin to tell how nice it is to be on the top of someones priority list.



Wath are the plans to THE KNOWING PROMOTION? Do you intend to made gigs in Europe and South America??

Dark Symphonies is promoting the CD in full force, and he will see to it it reaches all corners of the globe. We would love to make it to Europe for a tour, and South America would also be great! There is nothing solid as of yet, but Im sure in the near future, we'll get there to play a few shows.

Contacts:

DARK SYMPHONIES  Recors : www.darksymphonies.com  / darksympho@aol.com

NOVEMBERS DOOM: www.novembersdoom.com / novdoom@aol.com